Boohoo Group-owned Debenhams has had an ad banned by the UK’s Advertising Standards Authority and while some ad bans are because they’ve caused major offence or made outrageous claims, in this case it was more a case of lack of information that led to the ban.

The paid-for Facebook ad for Debenhams, seen on 9 March 2024, featured text that stated “Step into Spring with up to 60% off fashion, home and beauty at Debenhams”. A carousel of images featuring different products were shown next to text that said: “UP TO 60% OFF ” plus a “Shop now” link.

There was only one complaint made with the complainant saying not all products featured in the ad were available at the advertised discounted price, and challenging whether the claim “UP TO 60% OFF” was misleading and could be substantiated.

As the products were from third-party suppliers, who controlled their own pricing, Debenhams said it couldn’t obtain the relevant sales data.

But it also said its relevant team had been notified of the complaint and its internal processes had been revised to ensure future compliance with the CAP Code.

Yet the ASA determined that the ad was misleading because it couldn’t get evidence to show the product that was claimed to be reduced by 60% had ever been sold at the higher price. 

It told the company that the ad was misleading and breached the relevant code about such marketing. As well as banning the ad in question, Debenhams has been told that its future savings claims mustn’t mislead and must be substantiated against the usual selling price of the products.